


sugar free syrup

by aerynthesebacean



Series: first dates [1]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, M/M, Pining, almost meet cute, awkward and cute really, not quite because they already know each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-21 13:50:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21300494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aerynthesebacean/pseuds/aerynthesebacean
Summary: Cheol invites Jihoon out for coffee, and freaks out immediately. Jihoon won't think it's a date. Jihoon doesn't do dating. But, Jihoon is full of surprises, and Cheol finds himself being surprised, in more ways than one.
Relationships: Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Lee Jihoon | Woozi
Series: first dates [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1568968
Comments: 4
Kudos: 26





	sugar free syrup

**Author's Note:**

> I'm just going to put a very VERY minor tw for this fic. There's a slight mention of disordered eating/body image issues at the end, so please do not read if this may affect you! Otherwise, I hope you enjoy :)

The text was sent. 

No turning back now. 

Cheol threw his phone on his bed, trying to remove the imprint of the message he’d just sent  Jihoon from his mind. But of course, it was useless, the amount of time spent cultivating a message which conveyed his interest while still not coming across as too eager. Even so, the ‘Hey, do you want to grab a coffee some time?’ felt too much.  So, the only sensible thing to do was to pretend he’d never sent it at all, abandoning his phone in his bedroom, and throwing himself into something else.

Naturally it didn’t last long, especially when his phone’s text alert soon sounded, sending Cheol sprinting back to his bedroom. He reached his bed, phone within his reach, yet, he hesitated. What if it wasn’t him? Or  _ worse _ , what if it was him and he was blowing him off? He didn’t think he could handle that. Still, he couldn’t leave it, as painful as that eventuality would be, he had to check. 

So, with heart pounding in his chest, he picked up his discarded phone and braced himself to read whatever message he’d been sent. Seeing  Jihoon’s name took the breath from his chest, and seeing the message gave it back. 

‘I’d like that. Are you free today?’

Today.

_ Today _ .

Lee  Jihoon wanted to get coffee with him, and he wanted to go today.

Fuck.

“I need to change.” He threw his phone back on the bed, racing to his wardrobe. “Shit I need to  _ reply _ ,” He yells, scolding himself. He’s  glad his roommates are out for the day, so he can face this crisis alone without them asking why and then inevitably teasing him when they find out the reason. Everyone knows Cheol is whipped for  Jihoon , except seemingly  Jihoon himself. “Okay, okay, it’s fine. Just reply, be cool, say yes! It’s fine,” Cheol tells himself, shifting his weight on the balls of his feet, unable to keep still at all. A quick reply of ‘Yeah, is 1:30 good?’ and he’s back to maniacally picking an outfit.

Another text, another pause. A smile. ‘1:30 works for me, see you then :) '

He tries to keep his self-consciousness at bay in picking his outfit, but  it’s difficult, problems writhing under the surface desperate to spill over. He lets himself breathe, and take in the fact  Jihoon said he’d  _ like  _ to get coffee with him, and now that he knows he’s not straight, he might even consider it a date. He lets himself take a moments solace in that.

*

They meet outside the usual coffee shop, the designated hangout for their group, given that several of them work there and get plied for discounts. They are students after all. When Cheol first sees Jihoon, he feels a little breathless, in a shirt not buttoned up all the way, collarbones just visible, a pair of tight jeans too... He has to keep his mis mind clean. 

“Hey,” Cheol says quietly, catching  Jihoon’s attention – who’d already been waiting there for longer than he’d admit for a very long time – and making him look up and smile.

“Hey, how are you?”  Jihoon asks calmly.

“I’m good, thank you. And you?” Hoping that his voice wouldn’t betray the sheer amount of panicking he’d done earlier. But of course it didn’t, how could it?

“I’m very good,”  Jihoon replies, sounding just so  _ smooth _ , but everything Cheol knew about  Jihoon would predict the exact opposite. He was shy, enjoyed his own company, spent late nights studying or working or just sleeping. Yet, he was choosing to spend time with Cheol, and seemed to be enjoying it, though Cheol’s mind tells him it’s too early to tell. “Shall we go in? I’m  kinda hungry,”  Jihoon admits, rubbing his arm as he does.

“Yeah! Yeah, let’s go inside,” and Cheol pulls open the door, “After you.”  Jihoon looks at him, impressed,

“Thank you,” and he walks inside, Cheol close behind. They go up to the counter, and thankfully no one they know is working, otherwise they’d never hear the end of the questions and comments. It’d be  _ worse  _ than Cheol’s roommates, it’d be  Jihoon’s :  _ Soonyoung _ . “I’ll buy the drinks, they’re on me,”  Jihoon says, his voice strong, so much so that Cheol can barely stutter out an,

“Are you sure? You don’t have to.”

“I want to.” Cheol winced internally, he knew  Jihoon worked two jobs, he was at  university on a scholarship, he didn’t want him to pay. But  Jihoon insisted, and he didn’t have the courage to argue the point. He began to order, starting with his own, Cheol waiting for him to turn and ask for his own, which he never did. His mouth gaping slightly as  Jihoon effortlesslly lists off Cheol’s drink, his  _ favourite  _ drink. Hazelnut hot chocolate, sugar free syrup and skimmed milk.

He... remembered it? 

“Do you want anything to eat with it?” But Cheol was too anxious, his appearance and the situation combined... He couldn’t eat. He shook his head,

“No thank you, I’m okay,” He adds a smile, just brushing it off.  Jihoon returns the smile, turning back towards the cashier. The rest of the transaction passes, Cheol still stuck on the fact  Jihoon remembered his order, had he memorised it? Did it mean  Jihoon _ liked  _ him? Maybe he did, maybe it was still manifesting, but he knew that it meant  _ something,  _ and that gave him something to hope for.


End file.
